Packaging Options
All orders are sent in plain packaging so as not to ruin the surprise.
Premium Gift Pack
Our Premium Gift Pack includes a stylish gift box, which holds your personalised gift voucher and your activity voucher guide booklet. The premium choice.
£4.99 (+ £2.95 shipping charge)
Standard Gift Pack
Our Standard Gift Pack comes with a smart envelope that includes your personalised gift voucher and your activity voucher guide booklet.
Included in the £2.95 shipping charge
E Voucher
Our E Voucher is an instant voucher delivered by email, with your personalised email message and a downloadable .pdf of your personalised gift voucher.
FREE
Great Central Railway Saturday Dinner
Loughborough, Great Central StationREF: STDFTL
- Saturday dinner onboard the Charnwood Forester
- Travelling on the Great Central Railway
- Four-course meal served at your table
- 'Runabout' day ticket for each diner
What's Included
- A four course dining experience onboard first class dining carriages hauled by a vintage steam locomotive
- First class 'runabout' tickets for each passenger providing unlimited travel on the day of your meal (not available from end November through to the end of December when Santa Special trains are running)
- The journey lasts around two and a half hours
- Travel through Quorn & Woodhouse and Rothley stations before pausing at Leicester North. Follow the same route back
What Can I Expect
Book the Great Central Railway Saturday Dinner! Board your vintage steam-pulled carriage and spend a decadent Saturday evening surrounded by opulent interior décor and scenes of the beautiful Leicestershire countryside through the windows.
This steam train dining experience begins in Loughborough's Great Central Station, where you'll board the elegant and well-appointed ‘Charnwood Forester’ steam train to take your seats in the First Class dining carriage.
Your journey takes you through the atmospheric Quorn and Rothley stations, where the original Edwardian gas lights still illuminate the platforms, giving you a truly authentic early-20 th century travelling experience.
Your evening meal is served to you at your table and on the Charnwood Forester. Enjoy a starter, a choice of mains (vegetarian options are available), a dessert, cheese and biscuits and finally round the entire evening off with coffee and chocolate mints - delicious!
Upon arrival at your destination (Leicester North), there is time for a quick wander and a chance to stretch your legs, before you board the train for the return journey back to Loughborough.
What's so great about this experience is that your rail ticket is valid for the entire day. You can discover the individual stations along the route at your own pace in the hours preceding your meal and ride the different diesel and steam trains that frequent this historic railway line.
Reserving well in advance is essential for this incredibly popular steam-powered dining event and menu choices need to be made at least a week before your journey.
You will adore this stylish soirée and it's a fantastic gift experience for that special someone. Whether you board the train as a couple, family or group of friends, you’re sure to love your evening going on the Great Central Railway Saturday dinner train!
Availability
- Regular Saturday evenings throughout the year
- Depart from Great Central Station at 19:00 on Saturdays
- Selected dates from March to November
- Due to the popularity of this experience it is recommended to book well in advance to avoid disappointment
2024 Dates
April
- Saturday 20th April
May
- Saturday 4th May
- Saturday 11th May
- Saturday 18th May
- Saturday 25th May
June
- Saturday 8th June
- Saturday 15th June
- Saturday 22nd June
- Saturday 29th June
July
- Saturday 6th July
- Saturday 13th July
- Saturday 20th July
- Saturday 27th July
August
- Saturday 3rd August
- Saturday 10th August
- Saturday 17th August
- Saturday 24th August
- Saturday 31st August
September
- Saturday 7th September
- Saturday 14th September
- Saturday 21st September
- Saturday 28th September
October
- Saturday 12th October
- Saturday 19th October
- Saturday 26th October
November
- Saturday 2nd October
- Saturday 9th October
- Saturday 16th October
- Saturday 23rd November
- Saturday 30th Saturday
Location
- The trains depart from the Great Central Station in Loughborough
- The Central station has good access from the M1 (J23) and A6
Suitable For
- On booking, the operator may ask for your choice of main course in advance
- The operator also runs Christmas menus for which the vouchers will be accepted (run-about tickets are not available during this period)
- Minimum age 5
- Under 18s must be accompanied by a participating adult
Spectators
- It is possible for friends and family to buy a platform ticket only so they can wave you off and there are things to do at the station, but the most convivial thing to do is buy vouchers so you can make a family or group day of it and all eat together!
- Loughborough Central is where you will find a museum, station buffet and locomotive shed
- You are welcome to visit the area outside the shed where most locomotives can be viewed, but access into the shed is restricted for security reasons
- The operator can also assist and advise on local accommodation in the area
Anything Else
- Additional drinks can be purchased from the onboard licenced bar
- Please note that the menus and timetables are samples only and subject to change
- Dining vouchers are not redeemable between 24 November 2023 and 2 January 2024
Menu
Tea, Coffee and Chocolate Truffles
Reviews
5 out of 5 stars
Total Reviews: 54
Find out what other customers think of the experience
